Refrigerator port for dispensing container and closure therefor



"E'. S. GROSS June 17, 1947.

REFRIGERATOR PORT FOR DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Aug. 5, 1944 Fla. 2

IN VEN TOR.

A-r TORNEY Patented June 17, 1947 REFRIGERATOR PORT FOR DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Eshcol S. Gross, Long Beach, Calif.

Application August 5, 1944, Serial No. 548,297 a 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-186) This invention relates to refrigerator ports for dispensing containers and closures therefor.

Most fruit juices, vegetable juices and other beverages are dispensed from jugs or large botties which are maintained chilled or refrigerated. It is necessary ,to remove the bottle or container from the refrigerator in order to dispense the desired amount of the beverage, during which time, the coolingmedium escapes from the refrigerator. It is a primary object of this invention to provide a refrigerator port for beverage container that will automatically seal the port against the ingress or egress of air during the dispensing operation.

Another object is to provide a port having the above characteristics that will increase the efficiency of the refrigeration units and facilitate rapid dispensing of beverages from the container.

A further object is to provide a refrigeration unit having the above characteristics that will be durable, efficient in operation and comparatively cheap of manufacture.

The above and other objects will be made apparent throughout the further description of the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts. It is to be distinctly understood that the drawings are not a definition of the invention, but merely illustrate one form by which the invention may be effectuated.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation through a portion of a refrigerated case illustrating a, dispensing container positioned within a part of such case.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the arrangements of the elements when the dispensing container is withdrawn.

In the illustrative form shown in the appended drawings, the top or wall of a refrigeration case is indicated at I, such wall being provided with the port II. The interior of the case is refrigerated by means of suitable coils, dry ice, water ice, or other heat-absorbing means not shown in detail since they are well known to those skilled in the art.

Attached to the lower surface of the top") is a spacer ring l2, the inner diameter of this ring being slightly greater than the inner diameter of the opening or port, ll. Attached to the lower surface of the annular spacing ring I2 is an annular sealing gasket 13, whose inner diameter is smaller than the internal diameter of the spacer l2 and of the port H. The internal diameter of and flexible so as to yieldingly grasp the dispensing container 54 and conform to whatever irregularities of contour may exist in the jug l4.

Suspended within the refrigeration case from the wall or top i0 is a, U-shaped yoke or frame which in the illustrative embodiment comprises the upstanding leg l5 and I6 and the connecting bottom portion i1. This yoke may be attached to and carry the spacer ring i2. The yoke is attached to the lower surface of the wall or' top ID with the legs 15 and It on opposite sides of the port H so that the bottom portion ll of the yoke extends transversely across downward projection of the port.

A supporting plate l8 which may be circular in shape and having its outer edge terminating in an upstanding annular flange I9 is movably positioned within the yoke and is preferably in slidable guiding contact with the yoke. In the form shown, each of the upstanding legs of the yoke is provided with a vertical slot such as the slot 20 in leg l6. Pins 2i and 22 are carried by the supporting member l8 and slidably extend through the slots 20 in the legs of theyoke. A downward extending shaft or guide-rod 23 is attached to the supporting member I 8 and extends through an aperture in the horizontal member II. Spring means 24 are interposed between the portion [1 and the bottom of the supporting member l8,

thereby yieldingly urging the supporting member towards the port or aperture II.

It will be noted that while the dispensing container or lug I 4 is supported by member 18 and extends partly through the port I I, the gasket l3 is in resilient yieldable contact with the surface of the container I4 and thereby prevents egress of cold air from the refrigerator. When the dispensing container I4 is withdrawn, the supporting member l8 rises to bring the peripheral edge of the flange l9 into sealing contact with the gasket l3 so asto form a tight closure for the port or opening. It is to be understood that the upward movement of the supporting member I8 is attained by means of the spring 24 and that the diameter of the supporting member I8 is sufliciently large so as to completely cover the opening ll, through which the dispensing container M has been withdrawn.

The support I8 is preferably circular in shape and its outer edges terminate in a continuous upwardly extending flange. The upper edge of the continuous flange of the support comes into contact with the annular gasket to seal the openin while the inner edge portion of a gasket is still in contact with the container.

In the form of device illustrated, the spring 24 is completely collapsed and assists in supporting a the dispensing container when a full dispensing container is placed within the case as shown in Fig. 1. Obviously the condition of the spring depends somewhat upon its strength and the weight to be supported. The springs for yieldably urging the supporting plate i8 towards the opening may be attached to the lugs or pins 2!, 22 and to the lower surface of the top l0, and need not be positioned around the guide shaft 23. When the alternative positioning of the springs is used the shaft 23 may be dispensed with.

The yoke or frame is preferably attached to the lower surface of the top wall (thereby not interfering with the effective use of the lower part of the case) but it may also be a frame supported in any other manner. The yoke may have two, three or four upwardly extending legs. The supporting plate may be flat or dished. The sealing gasket may be of rubber, rubber-like composition, leather or any other suitable flexible material.

In the illustrated form. of device, the annular ring I2 is of greater internal diameter than the internal diameter of gasket it or port i I, and acts as a spacer between the top It and the gasket 13, thereby preventing the gasket from pinching or blocking when a bottle is being withdrawn.

The gasket may, in some instances, be used (11- rectly on the upper surface of top NJ; in other instances the spacing ring 92 may be eliminated. Moreover, the upper edge or edge portion of support it may be provided with a separate seating ring or bumper to assure complete sealing when the support is at the upper end of its stroke, as in Fig. 3.

All changes which may occur to one skilled in the art are embraced by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, including a top wall for an enclosure, a port in said wall for receiving a container, a frame depending from said top wall and beneath said port; a support mounted in said frame and adapted for vertical movement relative to said frame, means for attaching and guiding said support in said frame, the said support being of greater area than said port and adapted to close the said port when said container is removed from said port; spring means of sufllcient strength to elevate the said support to close the said port and with insufllcient strength to support the said container on the support when the latter is in closing position; sealing means carried by said wall and positioned beneath and adjacent the edges of said port, said sealing means consisting of a gasket and a spacer between the said gasket and the lower surface of said wall, the said gasket having a fixed portion for forming a seal with said support, and a, yieldable inner edge portion extending into-the path of said container for forming a seal with said container.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said port is circular and the said spacer and gasket are annular and position concentrically with said port.

3. A device of the character described, including a top wall for an enclosure, a port in said wall for receiving a container, a frame depending from said top wall and beneath said port, a support mounted in said frame and adapted for vertical movement relative to said frame, means for attaching and guiding said support in said frame, the said support being of greater area than said port and adapted to close the said port when said container is removed from said port, the edges of said support terminating in a continuous upwardly extending flange, the upper edge of the continuous flange arranged to contact the gasket at a level substantially above the supporting plane of the support of the container.

' ESHCOL S. GROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,251,876 Gibbs Aug. 5, 1941 2,299,347 Rifkin Oct. 20, 1942 1,739,431 Willauer Dec. 10, 1929 2,246,342 Brown June 17, 1941 

